For many years, scientists believed that the biggest risk factor for developing throat cancer was the use of alcohol and tobacco. However, studies also have shown a link betweenthroat cancerand HPV infection, perhaps spread via oral sex. In addition, sun exposure, poor oral hygiene, radiation exposure to the head and neck, and chemical exposure are also possible risk factors for developing throat cancer.

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Female doctor examining female patient with tongue depressor

While the throat may seem like a small area, it is actually comprised of several regions, like the larynx and the oropharynx. Thus, different types of throat cancers are named after their place of origination, both the location of the body and the cell type.

For example,throat cancerthat begins in the squamous cells of the pharynx would be called squamous cell carcinoma of the pharynx.(Squamous cells are the most superficial skin cells and are often described as looking like scales under a microscope.) The vast majority of throat cancer issquamous cell carcinoma.

Many of thesymptoms of throat cancerare similar to that of other less severe illnesses and can include:

Laryngeal Cancer

Laryngeal canceris cancer of the larynx, an organ that sits on top of the trachea. The larynx assists in breathing, speaking, and even swallowing.

When the cells that make up the tissue of the larynx begin to multiply and divide at an unusual rate, it is called laryngeal cancer. Most laryngeal cancers are squamous cell carcinomas, or cancer that originates in the first layer of skin cells. Symptoms include a cough that does not go away,earaches, a sore throat,hoarseness, and other voice changes.

Pharyngeal Cancer

The pharynx is the cone-shaped passageway portion of the throat that begins behind the nose and stretches about five inches before it ends at the esophagus and trachea.Pharynx canceris sometimes further classified as cancer of the nasopharynx, oropharynx, or hypopharynx, depending on its exact location.

The nasopharynx is the upper part of the throat behind the nose. The oropharynx, located below the nasopharynx, is the part of the throat at the back of the mouth behind the oral cavity. It includes the soft palate, the back third of the tongue, the side and back walls of the throat, and the tonsils. The hypopharynx is the most inferior portion of the pharynx, being the continuation of the oropharynx superiorly and both the larynx and esophagus inferiorly. About 90% of pharyngeal cancers are squamous cell carcinomas.They tend to affect males more than females.

Oropharyngeal Cancer

Oropharyngeal canceris throat cancer that begins in the area just behind the mouth. This area involves the back of the tongue, the soft palate, thetonsils, and the area behind the wisdom teeth.

Oropharyngeal cancer istreatedusing surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. The prognosis for oropharyngeal cancer depends on the severity, or stage of the cancer.

Nasopharyngeal Cancer

Nasopharyngeal cancer originates in the back of the throat and behind the nose (the upper portion of the pharynx). Two risk factors set nasopharyngeal cancer apart from other throat cancers—being of Asian ancestry and exposure to theEpstein-Barr virus.

Symptoms are similar to other throat cancers with the addition of nosebleeds and hearing loss.Tests used to diagnose nasopharyngeal cancer includeMRI,CT Scan, PET Scan, and tissue biopsy. Treatment includes surgery,radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.

A Word From Verywell

While throat cancer can be a fatal illness, if caught early, most cases can be cured. For this reason, you should keep regular appointments with your healthcare provider and your dentist. If you believe that you are having symptoms or areat risk for throat cancer, you should talk to your healthcare provider.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, throat cancer can cause pain in the throat. It is usually felt while swallowing which can make eating food difficult. There are also cases where the lips or inside of the mouth can have feelings of pain and tenderness.

9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Osazuwa-peters N, Adjei boakye E, Rohde RL, et al.Understanding of risk factors for the human papillomavirus (HPV) infection based on gender and race.Sci Rep. 2019;9(1):297. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-36638-zCleveland Clinic.Oropharyngeal cancer.Mark AM.Oral and throat cancer: What you should know.J Am Dent Assoc. 2019;150(4):324. doi:0.1016/j.adaj.2019.01.034American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers.Chowdary SD, Sekhar PC, Kattapagari KK, Mani Deepthi CH, Neelima D, Reddy BVR.A study to assess expression of human papillomavirus types 16 and 18 in oral squamous cell carcinoma using polymerase chain reaction.J Oral Maxillofac Pathol. 2018;22(3):347-352. doi:10.4103/jomfp.JOMFP_139_17American Cancer Society.Survival rates for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer.Lee HM, Okuda KS, González FE, Patel V.Current perspectives on nasopharyngeal carcinoma.Adv Exp Med Biol. 2019;1164:11-34. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-22254-3_2American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of nasopharyngeal cancer.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Esophageal Cancer.Additional ReadingMedlinePlus.Cancer - Throat or Larynx.National Cancer Institute.Head and Neck Cancer: Questions and Answers.National Cancer Institute.Nasopharyngeal Cancer Treatment.National Cancer Institute.Oropharyngeal Cancer Treatment.

9 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Osazuwa-peters N, Adjei boakye E, Rohde RL, et al.Understanding of risk factors for the human papillomavirus (HPV) infection based on gender and race.Sci Rep. 2019;9(1):297. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-36638-zCleveland Clinic.Oropharyngeal cancer.Mark AM.Oral and throat cancer: What you should know.J Am Dent Assoc. 2019;150(4):324. doi:0.1016/j.adaj.2019.01.034American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers.Chowdary SD, Sekhar PC, Kattapagari KK, Mani Deepthi CH, Neelima D, Reddy BVR.A study to assess expression of human papillomavirus types 16 and 18 in oral squamous cell carcinoma using polymerase chain reaction.J Oral Maxillofac Pathol. 2018;22(3):347-352. doi:10.4103/jomfp.JOMFP_139_17American Cancer Society.Survival rates for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer.Lee HM, Okuda KS, González FE, Patel V.Current perspectives on nasopharyngeal carcinoma.Adv Exp Med Biol. 2019;1164:11-34. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-22254-3_2American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of nasopharyngeal cancer.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Esophageal Cancer.Additional ReadingMedlinePlus.Cancer - Throat or Larynx.National Cancer Institute.Head and Neck Cancer: Questions and Answers.National Cancer Institute.Nasopharyngeal Cancer Treatment.National Cancer Institute.Oropharyngeal Cancer Treatment.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Osazuwa-peters N, Adjei boakye E, Rohde RL, et al.Understanding of risk factors for the human papillomavirus (HPV) infection based on gender and race.Sci Rep. 2019;9(1):297. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-36638-zCleveland Clinic.Oropharyngeal cancer.Mark AM.Oral and throat cancer: What you should know.J Am Dent Assoc. 2019;150(4):324. doi:0.1016/j.adaj.2019.01.034American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers.Chowdary SD, Sekhar PC, Kattapagari KK, Mani Deepthi CH, Neelima D, Reddy BVR.A study to assess expression of human papillomavirus types 16 and 18 in oral squamous cell carcinoma using polymerase chain reaction.J Oral Maxillofac Pathol. 2018;22(3):347-352. doi:10.4103/jomfp.JOMFP_139_17American Cancer Society.Survival rates for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer.Lee HM, Okuda KS, González FE, Patel V.Current perspectives on nasopharyngeal carcinoma.Adv Exp Med Biol. 2019;1164:11-34. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-22254-3_2American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of nasopharyngeal cancer.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Esophageal Cancer.

Osazuwa-peters N, Adjei boakye E, Rohde RL, et al.Understanding of risk factors for the human papillomavirus (HPV) infection based on gender and race.Sci Rep. 2019;9(1):297. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-36638-z

Cleveland Clinic.Oropharyngeal cancer.

Mark AM.Oral and throat cancer: What you should know.J Am Dent Assoc. 2019;150(4):324. doi:0.1016/j.adaj.2019.01.034

American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers.

Chowdary SD, Sekhar PC, Kattapagari KK, Mani Deepthi CH, Neelima D, Reddy BVR.A study to assess expression of human papillomavirus types 16 and 18 in oral squamous cell carcinoma using polymerase chain reaction.J Oral Maxillofac Pathol. 2018;22(3):347-352. doi:10.4103/jomfp.JOMFP_139_17

American Cancer Society.Survival rates for oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer.

Lee HM, Okuda KS, González FE, Patel V.Current perspectives on nasopharyngeal carcinoma.Adv Exp Med Biol. 2019;1164:11-34. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-22254-3_2

American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of nasopharyngeal cancer.

Johns Hopkins Medicine.Esophageal Cancer.

MedlinePlus.Cancer - Throat or Larynx.National Cancer Institute.Head and Neck Cancer: Questions and Answers.National Cancer Institute.Nasopharyngeal Cancer Treatment.National Cancer Institute.Oropharyngeal Cancer Treatment.

MedlinePlus.Cancer - Throat or Larynx.

National Cancer Institute.Head and Neck Cancer: Questions and Answers.

National Cancer Institute.Nasopharyngeal Cancer Treatment.

National Cancer Institute.Oropharyngeal Cancer Treatment.

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